Name: Soe Lwin
Age: 55
From: Dawei, Myanmar
Currently working in Khuk Khak, Phang Nga, Thailand

Soe Lwin spent the last 30 years in Thailand; 18 in Phang Nga province and the rest in Ranong province and Bangkok. Originally a fisherman in Myanmar, Soe Lwin decided to seek better opportunities in Thailand when he couldn't make ends meet back home.

For his first trip to Thailand in around 1994, he paid a broker $163 (6,000 Thai Baht), a significant amount at the time, to smuggle him by boat to Ranong under the cover of night. From there, he travelled by car to Bangkok, where he worked in factories and construction for a decade, sending money back to his wife. For the first five years, Soe Lwin had no documents and endured the threat of multiple arrests. However, his Thai employer managed to resolve these issues each time, allowing him to continue working until he could apply for a pink card*, corresponding stay permit, and other work documents.

Soe Lwin dreamed of saving enough money in Thailand to buy his own boat and secure a better future. Sadly, this dream was never realized due to the high costs of renewing visa documents and work permits, which consumed a significant portion of his earnings. So, after a decade in Bangkok, Soe Lwin returned to Myanmar and worked on a squid boat for three years.

Soe Lwin made another boat journey back to Thailand, this time with his wife and three children. He paid a smuggler $176 (6,500 Thai Baht) to bring them to Ban Nam Khem, a coastal village in Phang Nga province. Initially planning to work on fishing boats again, Soe Lwin was deterred by stories of the harsh conditions. Instead, he joined family members in cutting rubber and palm.

Now, Soe Lwin works in palm plantations, sharing the $14 (500 Thai Baht) per ton payment with his team. Despite the hard labor, his worries have shifted to new challenges posed by the Myanmar government. They have proposed a $4 (150 Thai Baht) per month tax on remittances and while it is required to be paid only through an official government bank, using informal channels to send money could jeopardize the renewal of documents like passports and work permits.

Adding to his stress is the fact that Thai law prohibits the renewal of work permits past the age of 55. Soe Lwin had initially planned to return to Myanmar at 55, which is this year. However, the coup has left him in a precarious position, unable to return home safely.
 

Photographer: Luke Duggleby

*The pink card is an official identification document for foreign workers that permits them to stay temporarily in Thailand.